Angioplasty is a percutaneous procedure to treat the blockage in the heart’s blood vessels. This blockage is a type of heart disease known as atherosclerosis.
Angioplasty may be a treatment option for you if:
- You have tried medications or lifestyle changes but these have not improved your heart health.
- You have chest pain (angina) that is worsening.
- You have had a heart attack. Angioplasty can quickly open a blocked artery, reducing damage to your heart.
Angioplasty isn’t for everyone. Depending on the extent of your heart disease and your overall health, your doctor may determine that coronary artery bypass surgery is a better option than angioplasty for you.
- You may need coronary artery bypass surgery if all three blood vessels are blocked.
- Your heart muscle is weak
- You have diabetes and multiple severe blockages in your arteries
In coronary artery bypass surgery, the blocked part of your artery is bypassed using a healthy blood vessel from another part of your body.
Stent placement:
Most people who have angioplasty also have a stent placed in their blocked artery during the same procedure. A stent, which looks like a tiny coil of wire mesh, supports the walls of your artery and helps prevent it from re-narrowing after angioplasty.
Here’s what happens during a stent placement:
- The stent, which collapses around a balloon at the tip of the catheter, is guided through the artery to the blockage.
- At the blockage, the balloon is inflated and the spring-like stent expands and locks into place inside the artery.
- The stent stays in the artery permanently to hold it open and improve blood flow to your heart. In some cases, more than one stent may be needed to open a blockage.
- Once the stent is in place, the balloon catheter is deflated and removed.
Angioplasty is a very low-risk procedure and can be performed in very high-risk patients and elderly patients. After Angioplasty patient can do routine work after 24 hrs.
Dr. Babu Reddy | Consultant – Cardiology | Narayana Multispeciality Hospital, HSR Layout, Bangalore